Wall Street set to soar, with AT&T-Time Warner deal dominating

IN THE NEWS TODAY

U.S. stock futures were pointing to a higher open on Wall Street, following the first positive week in three and renewed M&A activity led by AT&T's (T) mega-deal to buy Time Warner (TWX). (CNBC)

Long-depressed commodity prices are set to finally head higher due to expected infrastructure spending in emerging and more developed markets, and said Marc Faber, known as Dr. Doom for his usually pessimistic views. (CNBC)

When the next administration in Washington takes up the $85.4 billion deal between and Time Warner, the companies will probably face a much sterner test from regulators than Comcast's (CMCSA) purchase of NBCUniversal, which also owns CNBC. (NY Times)

In a speech over the weekend, Donald Trump said he opposed the proposed AT&T-Time Warner merger, vowing his administration would not approve the deal, because it would put "too much concentration of power in the hands of too few." (CNBC)

LinkedIn's (LNKD) deal to be bought by Microsoft (MSFT) for $26 billion is getting more intense review from European Union regulators. Officials have sent questionnaires to competitors about the possible deal. (WSJ)

TD Ameritrade (AMTD) this morning said it would buy privately held Scottrade Financial Services in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $4 billion. (Reuters)

B/E Aerospace (BEAV) will be bought by aircraft component maker Rockwell Collins (COL) for $62 per share in cash and stock. The value of the deal to buy the maker of aircraft interiors is worth $6.4 billion, not including assumption of debt. (Reuters)

Facebook will begin allowing more explicit posts if they are "newsworthy, significant, or important to the public interest," the social network said, following a series of controversies over deleted content. (Recode)

For the first time in decades, the wealthy are set to deliver a landslide victory for a Democratic presidential candidate, favoring Hillary Clinton two-to-one over Trump. (CNBC)

BY THE NUMBERS

Uncertainty about the election has not stopped most businesses from rolling out expansion plans and hiring new workers. But about a third of them are having trouble filling open positions, according the latest NABE survey.

While there are no government economic reports due today, investors hope for clues on the economy from three Fed officials. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, and Fed Gov. Jerome Powell all speak the trading day.

Roughly one third of the S&P 500 report their numbers this week. It's worth noting AT&T (T) had been set to report quarterly results this morning. But it issued them over the weekend with the Time Warner merger news.

Amazon (AMZN) saw its price target raised to $1,050 from $920 at Goldman Sachs, which maintains a "conviction buy" rating on the stock. Goldman cites both outperformance in Amazon's retailing operation as well as growth in the Amazon Web Services business.

STOCKS TO WATCH

MetLife (MET) is back in court today, trying to get the Financial Stability Oversight Council to report its designation of the insurer as a systemically important financial institution.

Genworth Financial (GNW) struck a deal to be bought by China Oceanwide Holdings Group for $2.7 billion in cash. The $5.43 per share deal represents a 4.2 percent premium for the insurer's closing price on Friday.

Boeing (BA) is stepping up its participation in the market for aircraft replacement parts, according to a Reuters report which notes that the move puts Boeing in competition with some of its major suppliers.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has filed for U.S. approval of its shingles vaccine Shingrix, which analysts feel has the potential for $1 billion in annual sales.

WATERCOOLER

It was a battle of the sequels at the multiplexes this weekend, as "Boo! A Madea Halloween" narrowly edged out "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" to claim first place at the domestic box office. (Variety)

The Chicago Cubs are going to their first World Series since 1945. They face the Cleveland Indians tomorrow night in Game 1. Ticket prices for all the games are skyrocketing. (Reuters)